Results
of
People
Working
Together:
Working
on
blighted
houses
with
Indiana
National
Guard
in
Gary
Last
Friday,
I
joined
the
Indiana
National
Guard
as
they
cleared
abandoned
and
blighted
homes
in
Gary,
Indiana.
One
of
my
first
stops
as
a
senator
was
touring
Gary
with
Mayor
Karen
Freeman-Wilson
looking
for
ways
the
federal
government
could
help
the
city.
When
she
showed
me
abandoned
structures,
I
knew
there
was
an
opportunity
to
help.
We
connected
the
city
to
the
Indiana
National
Guard
to
restart
a
program
using
drug
seizure
money
that
hadn’t
been
used
in
17
years.
This
is
the
result
of
people
working
together.
Credit
to
the
National
Guard
for
springing
to
action
and
clearing
these
problem
properties.
Post Tribune
Grant
for
East
Chicago
through
HUD
While
in
Gary,
I
received
more
great
news
for
Lake
County.
The
U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
will
be
awarding
the
city
of
East
Chicago
$4
million
for
demolition
on
the
contaminated
West
Calumet
site.
This
emergency
grant
is
the
result
of
lots
of
hard
work
by
people
across
all
levels
of
government.
I
was
joined
in
supporting
the
funding
by
Governor
Eric
Holcomb,
Senator
Joe
Donnelly,
and
Representative
Pete
Visclosky.
Speaking
on
the
Need
for
Tax
Reform
with
the
Southlake
Hispanic
Chamber
of
Commerce
Last
week,
I
delivered
remarks
at
the
Southlake
Hispanic
Chamber
of
Commerce.
I
shared
stories
of
my
time
traveling
Indiana
with
the
goal
of
getting
to
know
communities
I
haven’t
represented
before.
As
a
result
of
conversations
with
Hoosiers,
it
is
clear
to
me
that
simplifying
our
tax
code
would
greatly
benefit
our
economy,
boost
job
growth,
and
help
the
average
American.
Our
tax
code
is
unfair
and
filled
with
far
too
many
complex
special
interest
deductions. By
continually
adding
these
special
interest
deductions,
we
have
essentially
picked
winners
and
losers
in
our
system,
and
consequently
created
an
enormous
tax
burden
on
the
middle
class.
The
way
to
fix
this
problem
is
to
eliminate
certain
tax
deductions
and
loopholes,
create
a
flatter
and
more
equitable
tax
code,
and
ultimately
lower
the
overall
tax
rates.
Tax
reform
is
the
number
one
thing
we
can
do
right
now
to
jumpstart
our
economy
to
benefit
every
Hoosier.
After
the
speech,
I
continued
this
conversation
in
a
quick
interview
with
a
local
radio
station
–
Click
here
to
listen.
Honoring
the
American
Legion
It
was
a
pleasure
to
have
the
American
Legion
stop
by
last
week
as
we
continue
our
effort
to
honor
their
achievements
and
advocacy
on
behalf
of
veterans.
Proceeds
from
the
sale
of
a
new
commemorative
coin
will
go
toward
supporting
American
Legion
programs
and
efforts
to
continue
their
invaluable
work
on
behalf
of
our
nation's
veterans
and
their
families.
Actions
Abroad
Effect
Our
Security
at
Home
Saudi
Arabia
is
an
important
regional
security
partner,
but
we
must
not
allow
food
or
medicine
to
be
used
as
weapons
of
war.
The
actions
of
the
Saudis
in
Yemen
undercut
our
national
security
interests
and
our
moral
values—exacerbating
the
world’s
largest
humanitarian
crisis.
Saudi
Arabia
can
and
must
do
more
to
alleviate
mass
suffering
in
Yemen.
Improving
UN
Peacekeeping
I
had
a
positive
meeting
last
week
with
Mr.
Jean-Pierre
Lacroix,
the
United
Nations
(UN)
Under-Secretary-General
for
Peacekeeping
Operations.
To
better
protect
civilians
and
promote
improved
stewardship
of
our
tax
dollars,
UN
peacekeeping
reform
is
needed
and
long
overdue.
I
asked
him
to
ensure
the
UN
cooperates
fully
with
GAO’s
UN
peacekeeping
review
that
Senator
Merkley
&
I
asked
U.S.
GAO
to
conduct.
I
appreciate
Mr.
Lacroix’s
commitment
that
the
UN
will
cooperate
fully
with
the
GAO
review.
Senators
Young
and
Merkley
Call
for
GAO
Review
of
UN
Peacekeeping
Operations
One
thing
before
you
go:
Sierra
Leone
Ambassador
from
Portage
I’m
pleased
Maria
Brewer
will
be
serving
as
our
ambassador
to
Sierra
Leone.
Her
service
is
unmatched
and
she
will
make
Hoosiers
proud.
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